Recipe Advice Thread

[denimglen]

Thought it might be handy to have a thread for some of the more advanced brewers to give some advice on recipes.

Let's see how it goes eh...

[William Fitzgerald]

Vienna Malt has reasonable diastatic power, so it is fine to use it as your main malt.

I agree with the others that there is little point in using Pale Malt as well as Vienna, unless Pale is going to be your main malt. If you are going to make a hop bomb, try and keep your grain bill as simple as it can be. That way your variety of hop flavours will be able to shine through.

Vienna or Pale + around 5% of a medium caramel malt (Crystal 60 or Caramunich) should be fine, IMO. Beers don't have to be complex to be great.

[David R]

Just playing around on beersmith, I think you're right that less is more. 4kg Vienna + 500g Crystal 30L (89% & 11%) gives me 1.043 OG and 7SRM, which will be about perfect if I can get it to finish somewhere around 1.012-1.014. Thinking of using Danstar Nottingham yeast, had good results with it in the past the few times I've used it, never tried it with a big US-hoppy number though.

[Peter Church]

Winters coming and so I am thinking about appropriate brews, appreciate advice on an attempted Stonecutter Clone,

9 malts

was thinking along the following lines, 

Maris 65%

Vienna 12%

Biscuit 6.5%

Caraaroma 2%

Carared 4%

pale xtal 5 %

dark xtal 2%

Peated Malt 1%

sheppards delight 2.5%

OG 1080

36 EBC

22 IBU's goldings/fuggles

Any thoughts, 

[Miles]

Sounds like a super beer ... I would be interested to know the yeast details for this beer?

[Kevin Sharp]

Wyeast 1968.

[Crusader-Rob]

For a Scotch Ale, it needs some roated malts. Not too much, maybe some dark choc from gladfields.

[Peter Church]

thanks, good point

[William Fitzgerald]

OK if you want me to be honest? Way too complicated. That many caramel malts in a brew is just overpowering to me, on the tongue as much as the eyes. Why Caraaroma, Carared and two crystal malts? I would just choose one from those four (veering towards Crystal 120). If you have Biscuit in your grain bill it just seems excessive to add Shepard's Delight.

I would go with

Maris Otter 70%

Vienna 20%

Biscuit 6%

Crystal 120 3%

Peated Malt 1%

Thus the darker malts are <10% of the grain bill. If you want to doctor the colour, throw an ounce of Carafa Special in near the end of the mash.

Hope this helps and that I don't sound too horrible :)

[Crusader-Rob]

Nice one Will. I lioke to go slightly different, especially wqith a scotch ale. traditionally they're pretty simple, and tbh the peat is out of place. they need a roasted touch to them for colour.

If your hell bent of cloning the stonecutter, go with these malts.

maris otter, munich, wheat (probably torrified) melanoidin dark crystal and a touch of roast barley.

alternatively, go nice an simple.

maris otter roast barley. remove 3 litres and boil down to a syrup.  then re-add toward the end of boil.

I wouldn't bother with peat, unless your looking for a smoked beer.

[Kevin Sharp]

Peter asked about a clone for Stonecutter and I happen to know that it does have heavily pleated malt in it. Renaissance don't use Maris. It's gladfield ale.

[Kevin Sharp]

Doh. Maybe that's peated malt. Pleated malt is so hard to find nowadays.

[Peter Church]

don't know to many Kilt wearing maltsters